The Roland Callingham Foundation

The Roland Callingham Foundation is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1164475).

The Roland Callingham Foundation exists to keep Bekonscot Model Village prospering and to maintain the legacy of its late founder, who established the village. The Foundation also operates and maintains Bekonscot as a heritage and educational attraction. It distributes surplus profits each year to local charities and good causes, supporting work in education, heritage, health and welfare, religion and environment. It has donated over £21 million to local groups and charities.

Priority Areas

The Foundation distributes surplus profits to local charities and good causes, particularly those serving the community around Bekonscot. Its stated fields are education, heritage, health and welfare, religion and environment; it also retains discretion to support work outside those categories. It considers organisations undertaking charitable activities, including organisations that are not registered with the Charity Commission, where their proposed use of the grant is charitable and consistent with its objects. Trustees assess need, the fit between the organisation’s purpose and the Foundation’s objectives, financial soundness and management, and whether the grant will be spent on charitable purposes. The Foundation also operates and maintains Bekonscot as a heritage and educational attraction.

Themes

• Education
• Heritage
• Health and welfare
• Religion
• Environment

Geographic Focus

Priority: Beaconsfield and its surrounds.

Organisations submit a completed application form to Cathy Sturrock by email or post. Trustees review the applications and determine the grants to be awarded.

Deadlines: Applications are due by 30 April each year.

Application windows:

• Small Grants Programme: Applications close on 30 April.

Who can apply:

• Small Grants Programme: Applications are considered from organisations which undertake activities with a charitable purpose, including organisations not registered with the Charity Commission. Applications must be for charitable purposes.

What to send:

• Small Grants Programme
  • The Foundation’s standard grant application form.
  • Information on the organisation’s purpose, how well it is achieving that purpose, and whether it is consistent with the Foundation’s objectives.
  • A case of need for the grant.
  • Financial information, normally found in the latest Trustees’ report and accounts, including income and expenditure, assets, liabilities and reserves.
  • Information about the organisation’s management arrangements.

What the charity says:

• A strong case of need supports an application.
• The charity’s purpose should be consistent with the Foundation’s objectives.
• The charity should be financially sound and well managed.
• A grant must be spent on charitable purposes.
• Projects should benefit the community close to Bekonscot and focus on health, heritage, environment or education.